ResearchGate is a social network that promotes itself as the best platform for researchers. Right from the beginning scientists get tempted by auguring them free share of scientific papers and journals, useful collaborations, best qualified answers to burning questions and considerable changes for everyone. Yet it is hardly part of public dialogue that ResearchGate shows very little respect for human rights.

ResearchGate registration or why leaving freedom of speech at the door

ResearchGate registration makes it possible for researchers to get in contact with each other. Like in any other scientific community enabling joint research most discussions are offhanded and of a chaotic nature. Order only manifests as a result of open debates.

The freedom to follow up and compete for one's own ideas and with conceptions of others is crucial when it comes to creating either deeper insights or new knowledge. This is understood as an essential process of creative successful research activity which are quite often a starting line for new definitions, articles and essays. Since ResearchGate is an internet platform providing the opportunity for scientists to create or join discussions the founders, staff and members willingly decided to bring this community to being as a location where scientific discussions can take place. This makes ResearchGate clearly a community dedicated to public interests. Swinburne University admittedly stated that the purpose of this website is not really clear. However, it appears that the purpose of ResearchGate is to provide a platform for activity of international research beyond nationality and region. It actually was one aim of the founders to supply third-world countries and make qualified research available to anyone beside Western culture .

However ResearchGate seems to be not very worried about it's reputation violating free speech by simply deleting ResearchGate accounts including uploaded papers and conversations with other researchers without any warning. From this point of view it indeed makes this community look more like an exclusive club only for scientists holding specific opinions. Scientific discussions seem to be under strict control and significantly influenced by members of certain paradigms if not to say by political Zeitgeist. To find oneself in opposition to the general opinion incurs frustration and ensures that one gets not only down voted but also dogged by antagonists and finally banned by moderators if only enough people share the opinion they have been a victim of one's ideas, sentiments or mind. Indeed it is up to the mob to define whatever is perceived as insulting.

Not my job - Scientific freedom and how ResearchGate help support will not help at all

Moderators obviously do not feel responsible to protect human rights but in such cases rebuke for householder's rights . Any evidence of highly questionable conduct of political interference to scientific research gets swept under the table by deleting entire posts of those who were banned for political reasons although one might only have come up with explaining historical details.

It is a well documented fact in form of a quote that Schrodinger ‘insulted’ Heisenberg saying:

"If your bloody reduction of state takes places, I am sorry that I stepped into this bloody field."

Shall Schrodinger be banned from Physics because of this statement? At this point it turns out to be somehow true that the world seems to suffer from a good portion of ideologies called “political correctness” and “liberal democracy”.

This is manipulation of science for personal or political gain. Here it can only happen because certain members use pressure as majority to impinge upon a minority to make sure opinions get restricted, repudiated or misinterpreted. And it can only take place because ResearchGate staff joins in. Those methods do not only restrict freedom of speech but also negatively affect scientific freedom. It influences not only ResearchGate scores, but also findings of scientific research and the reputation of researchers especially by deleting statements of banned scientists while leaving answers to statements standing.

Science and freedom do go hand in hand. One cannot restrict freedom without research. And in some cases "error is the mother of success.". This is an important principle ever since science started. But in the current atmosphere ResearchGate provides making errors is not allowed. This tolerates researchers going with the majority either to be extremely defensive. They are virtually ensured to gang up on opponents and defend their ‘results’ at the cost of scientific honesty and integrity while others may or can not. Those who do not obey to mainstream risk a ban. It ensures that many rather holding a different opinion do not talk about it anymore. This is a seriously disturbing issue which acts against the purpose of any scientific community and research in general.

What is the conclusion that follows when it comes to purpose? ResearchGate is a social network to maximize the efficiency? Think again!

ResearchGate bans researcherIDs and therefore treats them as intruders who executed a misdeed only based on taste of a majority. Excluding scientists makes even others belief that a deleted ResearchGate account does belong indeed to an insulter, a faker or a spamer. In their terms of use there are mainly three reasons that lead to reverse of membership: Fake, spam or insult.

ResearchGate help support never reacts to questions or complaints from other members who try to defend the right of those being unjustifiably banned. Contacting help support is in this case fruitless, although they ensure confidentiality fast and free help to members.

Therefore ResearchGate is invited:

• To immediately stop violating freedom of speech and scientific freedom by deleting accounts without any sufficient reason.
  
  
• To make it transparent why a member has been banned to those who got banned.
  
  
• To base judgment on other criteria than the opinion of majority represented by down voting or frequency of complaints.
  
  
• To uphold commitments arising from recent developments in law concerning internet legislation and German right as the juristic person holding the domain is Researchgate GmbH in Berlin.
  
  
• To furthermore reinstate accounts of people who have been victims of this practice on demand.
  
  
• To reinstate the account of Akira Kanda.